With Scarlet Eyes
by Pegistar5
Summary: Reborn as Kurapika's younger sister, Momo Kisaragi is determined to find the others and bring them back together! It doesn't matter how far she might have to go; the Blindfold gang will be reborn once more. Reincarnation fic.
1. Chapter 1

_She was playing with the colored blocks, tumbling them across the mat. Whenever one displayed the color red, she squealed with delight and clapped her hands. She didn't mind if she was alone. She didn't mind if it was cold and empty. She didn't mind that other than the mat and the colored blocks, it was completely white._

 _She didn't mind it at all._

 _Steps from behind alerted her to another's presence. "Are you having fun?" he asked, voice warm and gentle._

 _"Yeah!" She continued messing with the blocks. Red, green, orange, purple, pink, white, yellow, black, and a strange black-red._

 _"What's this color called?" she asked, looking up. Nobody was there. She frowned and rose to her feet._

 _"Hello?"_

 _As she walked, she could feel herself growing, lengthening with every step._

 _"Are you there?"_

 _She could feel her heart pound in her chest, faster and faster._

 _"Hello?"_

 _She was running now, the gap between her strides like large caverns._

 _"Hey! Answer me!"_

 _There was a figure, a male, far off in the distance. His hair flickered from black to blond, blond to black, and back again. Even his clothes, switching from red and blue over and over. She squinted and tried to make out more features, but they remained stubbornly hazy._

 _"Hey! I'm right here!" She gulped in more breath. "I'm right-"_

 _The figure turned and thrust out his hand. Behind him, a giant black snake reared up and hissed._

 _Her eyes dilated and she lunged, desperately clawing towards his hand. "BROTHER-!"_

She bolted awake, hand still outstretched from failing to save her brother from the jaws of the snake.

* * *

o o o

"This is the last stop before we go on to the Hunter Exam!" Momo cheered, rocking in her hammock nonstop. "I'm so excited, I can hardly wait! Isn't that right, brother?"

Kurapika sighed and peeked over the top of his book. "Momo. I am _trying_ to read." He raised an eyebrow. "Besides, you said that at _every other stop_ _before this one._ I think I know that you're excited already."

Momo chuckled and scratched her cheek. "Sorry, I'm just… really excited, you know?"

Kurapika rolled his eyes. "I can tell."

"Ah, come on! Lighten up a little." She nudged him and swung to her feet. "Well, I'll be going out to the deck! Just holler if you need me, alright?"

The blond nodded absentmindedly, eyes and attention already back to the book. Momo walked out the door and padded up the steps.

"That's what the seagulls are saying."

She blinked and stared at the one who said that, a young boy clad in green. _What he said… I almost thought he was talking about-_

He suddenly flipped up, bounced off the deck, and bounded into the outpost. Momo could only gape at him. _Whoa! Those acrobatics were so cool!_

"It's a huge storm that's coming! I can tell by the smell!"

Momo felt as though she had swallowed an icy stone and it was now sitting in her stomach. Sure, she still felt impressed by the boy's strange skills… but…

 _Regular storms are fine, but if it's really a_ huge _storm…_

"Oi! Girly!" She blinked and found the captain of the ship looking at her. "You might want to go below deck; there's a storm coming!"

She put on a practiced false smile and nodded. "Right! Thank you for the warning!" she called, before scurrying back below deck.

* * *

o o o

"A huge storm?"

"That's what this boy said," she affirmed. "He said that's what the seagulls are saying and what he smells."

Kurapika blinked and shifted slightly- a sure sign that he was surprised. "...Peculiar." He then frowned at her. "Momo, are you sure you'll be okay?"

She smiled hesitantly. "I'll manage. I have to."

"We can always come back next-"

"No," she cut in. "You've waited long enough. We both have. But just because we're taking this test together, doesn't mean that I want to drag you down because of my own problems."

Kurapika sighed and patted her head. "Fine. If you insist. Just don't hurt yourself, alright?"

"Kay, brother!" she chirped, channeling far more confidence into her voice than she actually felt.

That was when the boat lurched to the side.

Momo squeaked as she was flung away. Kurapika grabbed her wrist and latched onto the hammock, which swung dangerously. Most of the other men shouted, tumbled down the floor, and piled up at the wall on the other side.

"Hold tight," Kurapika ordered, pulling her closer and wrapping his arm around her. She could only nod and grip onto his shirt, her stomach starting to tighten the slightest bit.

The boat jerked violently to the other side, and she hung onto her brother, the 'floor' supporting her shifting back and forth.

Kurapika eyed the still swaying fabric. "Do you think we should move to the floor?"

She laughed weakly. "Then we'd be sliding all over the place."

"We can always hang onto the posts."

"And risk damaging the ship? No thank you."

Kurapika groaned and ruffled her hair. "Stubborn girl." He took note of the creaking floorboards. "Still, looks as though the worst has passed."

Momo nodded and pried herself away. Her legs felt a bit like jelly, her palms were sweaty, and her stomach wasn't in the greatest shape, but otherwise she felt fine. "I think I'll be okay for now."

"Oi!" The captain stepped into the room. "Boy, blond, and suit, come with me." He paused and nodded at her. "Girly, you can come as well, if you can."

She narrowed her eyes and scrunched up her face. _If I can?!_ She immediately moved to get up.

Kurapika got up and frowned. "You shouldn't push yourself-"

"Shut up," she hissed. "This is my pride we're talking about! And a woman's pride will _not_ be insulted!" She carefully placed her feet on the floor and stood, only for them to shake and for her to stumble.

"Careful." Kurapika caught her and steadied her. "We don't want you to fall and get yourself hurt again."

"Are you okay? Do you need help?" It was the boy in green again, looking worriedly at her.

She waved him off. "I'll be fine, both of you." She straightened and walked forward, a guiding hand against the wall. Kurapika fell into step with her, ready to help at a moment's notice.

They reached the steering hull without much trouble. The captain was already waiting for them, along with a tall suited man.

"You're finally here," the captain stated. "Took you long enough."

Momo couldn't help but bristle at his tone. _It's not my fault I have a weak stomach!_

He turned his attention away to focus on the group as a whole. "First, tell me your names."

"I'm Gon!" the boy chirped. Momo smiled at the cheer in his voice. _He's so young…_

"My name is Kurapika."

"Leorio's my name."

Momo shook away her thoughts and her resentment at the captain and smiled. "And I'm Momo!"

"Why do you want to become Hunters?"

"Hey!" Leorio protested. "If you're not an examiner, you can't boss us around!"

"Just answer the question!" the captain growled.

"My dad's a Hunter," Gon offered. "I left Whale Island to know why my dad desired so much to be a Hunter!"

"Hey, kid!" Leorio called. "You aren't supposed to answer his question!"

Gon tilted his head. "Why can't I tell him why I'm here?"

"Gon can do what he wants to do!" Momo added.

Leorio's attention snapped to her. "And what's a lovely lady like you doing here?" he asked, eyes drifting down to her chest.

Momo narrowed her eyes at him even as she inched back. _Creepy pervert…!_

"Stop eyeing my sister like that."

"Yeah! I'll punch you," she threatened.

"Will you three please answer the question?" the captain all but snapped.

Momo chuckled nervously. "S-sorry!"

"I don't wish to reveal why I'm here," Leorio answered.

Kurapika dipped his head. "I agree with Leorio."

And of course Leorio took offense to that. "Hey! Aren't you younger than me! Show some respect!"

"It's quite simple to avoid pesky questions by offering a plausible lie."

"Are you even listening?!"

"However, it's quite shameful to rely upon deceit. That said, if I were to tell you the truth, I would be exposing my deepest secrets. That is why I cannot provide an answer."

"Don't ignore me!"

Momo sighed and ran her fingers through her bangs. "Brother…"

"What?"

"It's always with the long-winded speeches!" she burst out. "And you could at least _try_ to be less cold, you know? Even if that man is a creepy old pervert, ("Hey!") you could at least acknowledge him!"

The captain tapped his smoke pipe. "So is your answer the same as your brother's?"

"Um… well, not _exactly_ …"

Kurapika raised an eyebrow. She could almost hear what he was thinking. _So are you finally going to tell me the_ real _reason why you're taking the exam?_

Momo sneaked a look at him. _I can't tell him the truth… I can't tell anyone here the truth… They'll all think I'm crazy! Especially when the truth is so crazy it's unheard of! He'll probably take the truth harder than anyone!_

"I'm taking the exam to help my brother, sure, but I'm also taking it because there are some people I have to find," she answered. "Having a Hunter's license will mean that it'll be easier to find them, what with the increased access it grants you. Is… is that alright?"

"That's fine." He turned to Kurapika and Leorio. "As for you two… you're saying that you are refusing to answer the question." He turned to one of the sailors. "Katsuo! Tell the examination board that we have two more dropouts."

Kurapika's eyes widened while Momo gripped his hand. "What do you mean?"

"You still haven't figured it out? The Hunter Examination has already begun."

The boat jerked, and Momo staggered. Kurapika ripped his gaze away from the captain and steadied her.

"There are as many Hunter wannabes as there are stars in the sky," the captain continued. "The examiners don't have the time nor resources to review them all. So they hire people like us to trim the fat. I've already notified the board that everyone else on this had to withdraw."

Momo felt a chill run down her spine. _I could've easily failed before I even began…_

"If they can't handle a little storm like this, they'd stand no chance against the Hunter Exam's later stages. In other words, you don't progress to the main exam unless I pass you." He raised an eyebrow at Momo. "I've got half a mind to fail you, considering that you're struggling to stand."

"It's not my fault I was born with a weak stomach," she growled.

The captain twirled his pipe. "Now then, think carefully before you answer my question."

Momo squeezed Kurapika's hand. She knew just how much the death of their clan had affected him, and she knew that revealing any part of his history was difficult, especially to a couple of strangers.

"It's alright," she whispered. "I'm right here."

Kurapika took a deep breath. "I am one of the last survivors of the Kurta clan. Four years ago, my clan was annihilated by a band of criminals. I wish to become a Hunter and hunt down that band, the Phantom Troupe."

"So you want to become a bounty hunter? The Phantom Troupe are a class A bounty. Not even the most grizzled Hunters can touch them. You'd be throwing away your life."

Momo bit her lip and averted her eyes. _I don't want him to die. I don't want him to die. But I know…_

"I do not fear death. Rather, I fear that my rage will subside over time, and I will forget the memory of my clan."

 _...I can't change his mind. Not as I am right now._

"So in other words, you want revenge." It was the smirk on Leorio's face that made her frown. "Do you really need to become a Hunter for that?"

"That may be the stupidest question I've ever heard, Leorio."

A vein throbbed in his head. "That's Leorio-san to you!"

"Please don't antagonize him…" Momo sighed.

"Places accessible only to Hunters… information otherwise unobtainable… Actions otherwise impossible… There are more reasons than your brain can possibly handle."

"I just told you _not_ to antagonize him!" she hissed. He ignored her, like all the other times.

"Hey, Leorio!" Gon cut in. "Why do you want to be a Hunter?"

Leorio shrugged, an almost helpless smirk on his face. "I'll keep it simple… I want money."

Momo was torn between rolling her eyes and glowering.

"Money can get you everything! A big house, a nice car, good liquor!"

"You can't buy class with money, Leorio."

The man ground his teeth and glared. "That's three times now. Step outside. I'll end the filthy Kurta bloodline here and now."

Momo's eyes dilated and her eyes blazed red. "You. Did. _Not_." _Staring into the cold eyes of the snake, its mouth twisted into a feral grin…_

She blinked and found everyone staring at her, even her own brother. She gulped and quickly shut off her eye power, eyes returning back to their normal color. "Um…"

Kurapika shook his head and glared at Leorio. "Take that back!"

He turned on his heel and walked out the door. "That's Leorio-san to you."

Kurapika stormed after him. Momo made to follow, only for the ship to shudder and for her to fall flat on her face. "Owwww."

"Are you okay?" Gon asked as he helped her up. Momo nodded and leaned against the wall.

"Yeah. I'm going to be feeling that tomorrow…"

"Boys! I'm not done yet!" the captain roared. Momo inched toward the door, only to be interrupted by Gon.

"Just let them go."

"Hm?"

"Eh?"

"Mito-san once told me, "If you want to get to know someone, you need to make an effort to learn why they're angry." It's important for them to understand why they're mad, so we should let them settle it themselves."

Momo could only stare at him, surprised. _I thought he was a carefree, innocent boy, albeit a little naive… I wonder…_ She felt as though her life had been shifted into a new perspective. _If any of the others had heard this, would things have been different?_

"Captain!" The one steering the ship pointed forward. "L-look…"

Momo felt the floor bounce under her feet, causing her to fall once again and scrape her knees. She winced and gripped her stomach, now winding into tight knots. When she looked out the window, she spotted a ginormous pillar of water twisting into the graphite sky.

"If we get caught by that waterspout, the ship will sink!"

"Lower the sails now!" the captain commanded.

"I'll help!"

"Alright, come with me!" Gon and the sailor dashed out. Momo grimaced and pushed herself to her feet.

The captain pushed the other sailor away. "I'll take the helm."

"Aye!" He nodded and ran out.

The captain turned back. "What are you going to do?"

Momo gritted her teeth and inched along the wall. "I'm going to help, duh! My brother's still out there!"

The captain's eyes narrowed. "Try not to get killed or become a hindrance. Full to starboard!"

Momo smirked and hobbled as best she could out to the deck. Once there, she clenched onto a nearby post, braced herself against the wind and surveyed the area.

It was an absolute nightmare. Water was sloshing all over the place, the seas were churning, and rain was blasting into her face. A row of sailors were wrestling with the ropes, hauling them back as best they could. Among them was Gon, showing absolutely no sign of faltering. On the other side was Kurapika and Leorio, facing off with a good distance between them. As she watched, they drew their weapons, Leorio a knife and Kurapika his wooden sword-nunchucks.

The ship lurched back and the wind howled even stronger. A sailor shrieked as the rope whipped him into the air and yanked him across the boat. The rope swung high into the air and swept across the deck. The sailor was grabbing onto it for dear life, but he was slipping back with every sudden turn.

Momo didn't think, didn't even _comprehend_ what she was doing. She forgot the howling storm around her, the pouring rain, the knots in her stomach… all of it. As soon as the rope rushed towards her, she grabbed onto it, grabbed onto the slipping sailor, and hung on.

Reality slammed back into her. She screamed as she was flung up, up, up, the rope threatening to slip under her grasp. Her stomach was having an absolute field day, twisting up and down in a way she hadn't felt before.

"What are you doing?!" the sailor yelled, dangling from her hand.

She managed a queasy smile that seemed all too weak (or all too sharp? She couldn't really tell; her emotions were all out of whack). "Two hands are better than one!"

"I'm pretty sure it was two _heads_ are better than one!"

"Oh, shut up! I'm trying to save your life!" She looked down and flinched. _Oh my god, I think I'm going to be sick._

She could see _everything_ from where she was, the sailors running desperately to catch them, Gon jumping all over the deck, her brother and Leorio locked into battle. The seas churned under the boat, rocking it up and down.

The wind blasted into her, sending the rope shooting down. She braced herself for the impact on the ground, only for the wind to catch them and send them flying up again.

"Come on!" she gasped at the sailor. "If we both grab onto the rope, we won't fall off!"

The sailor nodded and jerked his free hand around the rope. She then zeroed in on the two fighting figures.

"BROTHER!" she screamed. "BROTHER!"

"He can't hear you!" the sailor shouted. "We're moving around too much for anyone to do anything!"

"I don't see you offering a way to get us down safely!" she retorted. _If it's Brother, he'll think of something… if he weren't so fucking oblivious to what's happening right now!_

She gritted her teeth. She didn't want to do this, didn't want to reveal it in front of so many people, but she knew she didn't have a choice. The only way to get _everyone_ to see her was to…!

 _Drawing Eyes!_

Everyone's gazes snapped toward her, some halting what they were doing just to stare. Kurapika had ceased fighting, his own red eyes wide with terror. She met his eyes, and they narrowed into something akin to determination.

 _Jump, and I will catch you._

Momo gave a slight nod and glanced back at the sailor. "When I give the word, let go of the rope!"

"What?!"

"Just trust me on this!"

 _And I'm trusting you, Brother,_ she thought as she squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel everyone's attention on her, wildly following her trajectory. But her brother's was hyper focused, directed in a single line towards her. As soon as she entered that line…

"Now!"

The two let go. Momo snapped her eyes open and watched, watched as Gon dove towards her, as Kurapika and Leorio lunged forth…

They slammed against the side of the boat. Momo gasped as the breath was driven out of her. Thankfully, she was still holding onto the sailor, who was holding onto Gon, who was being held by Kurapika and Leorio. The waves splashed over her, soaking her and causing the both the boat and the chain of humans to sway uneasily.

"Hurry up!"

"We need to pull them out!"

The echo of sailors drifted into her ears. Now that most of the danger had passed, Momo grimaced, angled her head, and threw up into the ocean.

* * *

o o o

"Hoooooly shiiit," Momo gasped, lying against the wall. Kurapika shot a narrowed gaze at her, but didn't reprimand her.

"Just be glad that the storm's finally over," he sighed instead. He then glared at her. "But what were you thinking?! Grabbing onto the rope like that?!"

"...He was falling," she protested.

"Still! That doesn't mean you had to strain yourself so much!" He sighed again and ran a hand through his bangs. "Or did you forget that you were practically incapacitated for the rest of the storm?"

Momo winced and looked away. Her stomach had done so many flips and turns that she really couldn't take it any longer. "...At least I didn't fall into the ocean?"

Kurapika groaned. "You're hopeless."

"Gon!" It was the sailor again, running up to them with a relieved look on his face. "Thank you, Gon. You saved my life!" He then turned to Momo. "Thank you too. If it weren't for you, I would've fallen a lot sooner."

"We couldn't have done it alone!" Gon chirped, Momo adding a tired nod. "These two helped save you!"

The sailor turned to Kurapika and Leorio and bowed. "Thank you very much!"

Kurapika blinked at him before turning away. "...You don't have to thank me."

Leorio grinned sheepishly. "Well… I'm glad you're okay!"

"Right! Well, I'll be returning to my station now."

"Ah, wait!" Momo called. "I never got your name."

The sailor blinked and smiled. "Ah- right! My name is Katsuo!"

Momo gave him a grin and raised her hand. "Here's to surviving a life threatening experience!"

Katsuo only stared at the hand blankly.

Momo rolled her eyes. "It's called a high-five?"

"Oh!" He laughed nervously and they slapped their palms together.

"Don't let me keep you any longer, you should get to your station," Momo smiled. Katsuo nodded and scurried away.

"...I apologize for my rude behavior." She looked up to find Kurapika glancing at Leorio. "Sorry, Leorio-san."

"W-what's with the sudden change?" he stuttered. He tried to wave it off with his hand. "We sound like strangers… just call me Leorio. Leorio works." He paused and smiled gently at Kurapika. "I'm also sorry. I take back everything I said. That was both uncalled for and disrespectful." He looked at Momo. "I'm sorry to you to. I ended up insulting you in my anger… I hope you can forgive me."

Momo could only beam at him. "No, no, just apologizing is enough. You have… no idea how much it means to me."

"Like Momo said, it's okay."

A bark of laughter sounded from the doorway. Momo jolted and nearly leapt to her feet, only to realize it was the captain laughing.

"You know what, I like you guys!" he grinned. "I'll take responsibility for bringing you four to the port closest to the exam site."

Kurapika glanced at him in surprise. "What about your test?"

"Like I said, it's my decision to make. And all four of you pass!"

Gon cheered, pumping his fist in the air. Momo couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. Looking at her brother, she could see him struggling to keep his smile as small as he possibly could.

The captain headed up the steps, paused, and turned to look back. "Oh yeah. Girly! Come with me. There's something I want to speak with you."

Momo frowned and stood. Kurapika shot a worried look at her. "What do you think-?"

"I'll be _fine_ ," she sighed exasperatedly. "He just said that all of us passed, right? So there's nothing to worry about."

"...If you say so…"

Momo rolled her eyes and nudged him. "Overprotective much?" She jogged away before she could hear his response. The captain led her down below deck, through the hallways, and into a separate room that resembled the steering hull, only without the steering wheel and windows. A world map was pinned to the wall, showing various ports and docking areas. Below it was a desk with a pencil cup and a piece of paper. Across that was a single bed, slightly messy and showing signs of wear.

"...Is this your cabin?"

"Right on the money. You've got some good observational skills."

She rubbed her head and smiled. "My brother would've been able to figure it out earlier." She frowned. "But why am I here?"

"Well, it involves your stunt during the storm."

Momo froze. "W-what about it…?" _Is it something I shouldn't be able to do? Is it something he's going to call me out on?_

The captain set down the bottle in his hands and met her eyes. "Tell me, have you ever heard of Nen?"

* * *

 **A/N: Whew! My first ever HxH story! This is really just something I wrote on a whim as an experiment. I'll only write when I get inspiration/ideas, so don't expect regular/periodic updates. The only reason why I uploaded this now is because I haven't done any activity on this site for a while...**

 **For any of you reading any of my other stories, here's a few notes (cuz I don't want to use an entire chapter for A/Ns on each story respectively...):**

 **Shattering Lenses: Still working on it, I promise! As of this note, I just got past the second scene involving Sayaka's battle. I still have the final scene of Nagisa's battle, two more scenes of Sayaka's battle, and the fragments of scenes wrapping up the other battles to write before chap 20's finished.**

 **Crossing Fate: Taking a slight break on it due to lack of ideas and motivation (actually, I haven't looked at the document in a while...) I'm about a third or halfway through the chapter and still struggling on how to resolve Marry's conflict. I have a few ideas for the next chapters (which will be more slice of life-ish) but no actual scenes.  
(Side note: If you like this story check out Crossing Fate! It's also Kagepro centric, though there's no Momo there yet)**

 **Of Wishes and Wills: Maaaaaan I haven't looked at that in forever. Assume it's on hiatus because I have absolutely no ideas. Just a few wisps of an idea, but that's about it**

 **Other projects: The big reason why I haven't done much on any of my stories on FF is because I've been working on other projects/ideas/stories! Yeah, not a very good excuse I know. I just have WAAAY too many story ideas owo If you want more details, go to my profile!**

 **Rate and review, etc. etc. etc. Tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Nen?"

The captain nodded. "Have you heard of it?"

Momo frowned. "I don't think so… Should I know about it?"

The captain shook his head. "You shouldn't. Which is why you're here."

"I… don't think I understand."

"Nen is the ability to utilize the energy of your life force," the captain explained. "Your aura, if you will. With Nen, people are able to do incredible things. Enhance their bodies, create objects… even manipulate others."

Momo felt a shiver run down her spine at that. "And…? What does that have to do with me?"

"I think you're well aware of that little 'ability' of yours that you used to help save Katsuo."

"I… Y-yeah."

"You see, there are some people that are born with Nen. They have absolutely no formal training in Nen, yet are able to develop their own Hatsus."

"...Hatsus?"

"Sorry, unique Nen abilites specific to a select person. These people are normally called psychics, geniuses, even superhumans. I'm fairly sure you fit the bill."

Momo nodded. "So you think I'm one of those people? But then, why are you telling me this?"

His eyes narrowed. "I'm telling you this now so you don't end up becoming a target later. The existence of Nen is supposed to stay a secret from the general public. If you were to reveal this knowledge…"

Momo shuddered. "I understand. I can't let this get in the wrong hands."

"Not just that. Even though Nen is supposed to be a secret, there may be some people taking the Hunter Exam that already know of it, or are even fully trained. There are plenty of unusual people taking the Exam, after all. Revealing your Hatsu may put you at risk to those people, especially since you've never even heard of Nen before this."

"So, no different from how it's always been…" she muttered.

"How it's always been?"

Momo jolted and nodded. "I was afraid that this ability would make people see me differently, so I tried to avoid using it… The only one who really knows anything about it is my brother."

"The blond boy, Kurapika."

"Mmhm."

"He doesn't know of Nen, does he?"

"He doesn't. At least, I don't think he does…"

The captain nodded and motioned to the door. "Alright. You can go now. I think it goes without saying that you can't tell anyone what we talked about here."

Momo frowned. "What am I going to tell them? I know that Brother, at least, will ask what happened here…"

The captain picked up his beer bottle and thumbed it. "Just tell him it ain't any of his business and it's nothing dangerous."

"That's only going to make him more curious…"

"Do you really need an excuse that badly?"

"Um- I've been told that I'm really bad at lying on the spot."

The captain groaned, grabbed a canister, and chucked it at her. "Say that we've been talking about that seasickness of yours. I'm giving you this because I said that you might need it in the future."

Momo caught the implication and grinned. "Thank you, sir! I'll see you later!" She waved and bounced out the door, acting as if nothing serious had ever happened within the confines of the captain's cabin.

It was a good thing she's had so much practice in acting before.

* * *

o o o

"Momo!" Kurapika called as she padded down the steps. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" She held the bottle of pills in her hand. "The captain just wanted to ask about my seasickness and gave me this to help me in the future."

"Speaking of seasickness, how are you not sick right now?" Leorio asked.

"Well, I trained myself so that it's not so bad anymore. Although, I can't do much against really strong storms, like the one that just passed…" She rubbed her head sheepishly and chuckled. "I'd always had a really weak stomach since I was born, so…"

"A weak stomach?" Leorio frowned. "Shouldn't you have gotten that checked?"

"The Kurta clan wasn't really up to date with the rest of the world in terms of technology," Kurapika explained. "So we didn't have a reliable way to check that until after…" He coughed. "And it would be strange for two kids to ask for a checkup that really should have been done a lot earlier… It would raise a lot of questions."

Leorio snapped his fingers. "Then how about this? Once I get a Hunter's licence and become a doctor, I'll give you guys that checkup that you need, free of charge!"

Kurapika looked up, his lips twitching as though fighting down a smile, and a sparkling light in his eyes. "Really?"

Momo beamed, not bothering to hide her own happiness. "You'd really do that? Thank you!"

Kurapika looked at Momo, saw her joyful face, and shook his head, no longer bothering to hide his own smile. "Then I'll hold you to that promise, Leorio."

"And you bet I'll keep it!" The three smiled at each other, while Gon looked on happily.

* * *

o o o

"He said to head for that cedar tree?"

"But the Exam's in Zaban City… the tree is in the exact opposite location."

"Perhaps you misheard him?"

Gon shook his head. "He said to head for the lone cedar tree, I'm sure of it."

"Well, if the captain said so, then I'll have to listen to him!" Momo smiled. "Gon, you going?"

"No, I'm coming with you. I'm sure he had a reason for suggesting that, so I want to check it out!"

"Oi, oi, the bus to Zaban City's leaving… It would be easier to just take it."

Momo turned to him in surprise. "You mean you're not coming with us?"

Leorio rubbed his head. "Er…"

Momo frowned. She didn't want them to separate. Not yet. And while it may be selfish, she sincerely believed that the captain's advice would help them all pass the Exam. So she decided to deploy her secret weapon:

Puppy dog eyes.

Leorio cringed and instantly looked away, but the damage was done. He shifted on his feet unsteadily, leaning towards the bus, then her, then the bus again. Then…

"Argh! Fine! I'm coming with you!"

"Yes!" She pumped a fist in the air and looked at Kurapika. "Brother, you're coming too, right?"

"That's right."

"Then let's go!" Gon called, somehow already a few meters ahead. Momo laughed and chased after him, followed by Kurapika and then Leorio. The four journeyed like this for a while, Gon and Momo cheerfully taking the lead, with Kurapika and Leorio trailing behind. Soon enough, they reached a sandy town, devoid of any sign of life- at least, for those who couldn't notice them.

"This is creepy… it feels like we're the only ones here," Leorio muttered.

"But there are plenty of others here," Gon stated.

"What?"

A door slid open, and all of them tensed. Momo could only stare as a wooden stage settled in front of them, carried by people clothed with white, almost ghost-like cloaks and strange furry wigs. In the center was an old woman, with her eyes closed and hands clasped together.

"Exciting…"

"E-exciting…?" Leorio repeated.

"EXCITING TWO CHOICE QUIZ!"

Momo resisted the urge to slam her head into the floor. Next to her, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio could only stare blankly.

"You all are headed toward that tree on the hill, correct? To reach that tree, you must pass through this town. I shall administer a single-question quiz. You'll have five seconds to give your answer. Give the wrong answer, and you'll be disqualified. You'll have to give up on taking this year's Exam."

Momo felt a chill down her spine. _This lady means business!_

"I see… Then, this is also part of the Hunter Exam."

"Well, I happen to be a quiz taking expert, so- wait, only one question?!"

"Your answer will either be the number 1 or 2. Any other answer will be considered incorrect."

"Wait, so we all share the same question?" Leorio asked. "So if one of them answers incorrectly, I'll be disqualified too?"

"Hey!" Momo frowned.

Kurapika gave Leorio a deadpanned look. "As if that would happen. What scares me is the high likelihood of the reverse happening."

"Brother," she warned.

"But, you know, it's easier this way!" Gon's cheerful voice chimed. "Only one of us needs to know the answer!" He rubbed his head sheepishly. "I'm not that good at quizzes."

"Hey, hey, hurry it up. Or else I'll answer the question first," a voice called. They turned to find a rather conceited looking male waltzing up to them with his hands in his pockets.

"Who are you?" Leorio frowned.

"He followed us here, all the way from the port," Gon answered. Momo gaped at him. _How in the world did he know that? Though now that I think about it, I_ did _feel a strange gaze on me…_

"I happened to overhear your conversation," the male gave as an answer.

"What are you going to do?" the old lady called.

Momo shrugged. "Why not let this guy do it? He seems real eager for it."

"Letting him go first would be beneficial," Kurapika agreed. The four moved aside for the male to step forward. A stand with a button was placed in front of him.

"Here is the question," the lady began. "Evil villains have captured your mother and your lover. You can only save one. Select 1 for your mother, and 2 for your lover. Which will you save?"

The group jerked as a whole. _Y-you can only save one?_ Momo screamed in her mind. _What kind of quiz is this?!_

The male slapped the button and crossed his arms, smirking confidently. "The answer is 1."

"Oh? And what makes you say that?"

"Because you can't replace your mother, but you can find another lover," he stated.

The lady pointed her thumb behind her. "You may pass."

"What?!"

The male turned to them and smirked. "You just have to tell the old lady what she wants to hear. It's that simple."

Momo's eyes _burned_ when he said that, so casually as if he was talking about the weather. _Simple? Simple?! How the hell can he say that it's_ simple _?!_ A firm grip on her shoulder snapped her out of it, and she turned to find Kurapika's stern but slightly ticked gaze.

"Control yourself, Momo," he said out loud. _I'm mad too,_ he said through his eyes. "We have to stay calm."

Momo felt her blood shift from a boil to a simmer. She gave the slightest nod, and looked back forward, only now registering the angry screeching that was Leorio ranting.

"I won't put up with this sham! I'll find a different route!"

"It's too late. Refuse to take the quiz, and you'll be disqualified."

"Th-that's just ridiculous! Different people expect different answers! There _is_ no right answer!"

Kurapika seemed to jolt. "No right answer… I see!" He whipped around. "Leorio-!"

"Wait!"

Momo snapped her attention towards the old lady and her brother.

"Not another word from you. Say anything but the answer, and you're immediately disqualified."

Momo instantly latched onto her words. _She said anything_ but the answer… _So Brother can still answer the question! But then, why isn't he saying anything?_

"Here is your question. Your son and your daughter have been kidnapped. You can only rescue one. Select 1 for your son, and 2 for your daughter."

Momo stiffened, heart racing. _If_ both _Shintaro and I had drowned back there, who would my dad have chosen to save? Who would my_ mom _choose to save?_

"Five."

Her eyes slid to Kurapika, who was watching their other two companions with a desperate sort of pleading. _Kurapika can only say the answer, and the old lady probably only told him that because he figured out the answer, but he isn't saying anything-!_

"Four."

Something clicked in her mind. _He isn't saying anything._

"Three."

 _Of course! If Kurapika knew the answer, he would definitely say it! But he isn't saying anything, which means that_ is _the answer!_

"Two."

 _But can_ I _say anything? Nono, she said that any other answer would get me disqualified, so I_ can't _!_ She looked over at Gon and Leorio. _Please don't do anything stupid!_

"One. Buzz. Time's up."

Leorio lunged at the old lady, roaring like a lion all the way. He raised his makeshift stick weapon and brought it down, only for Kurapika to block it.

"Calm down, Leorio!" he yelled.

"How am I supposed to calm down?!" he bellowed.

"You'll waste our correct response!" Kurapika snapped. Leorio instantly stepped back, a dumbfounded look on his face.

"The answer was no answer," Momo explained, stepping beside Kurapika. "Am I right?" He nodded gratefully.

"Back then, you hit the nail on the head, so to speak. This quiz _had_ no right answer, but we could only state 1 or 2 as an answer."

"Basically, silence was the right answer, and the only response we could give," Momo summed up. She shot a look at Kurapika. _You were going to do one of those long explanations again, weren't you?_

His lips quirked up at that before he resumed his calm face towards Leorio.

"But- what about that other guy?" he asked.

"The old lady never said he gave the right answer. She only said, "You may pass." So this path isn't actually the correct path. Am I right?" He directed this at the old lady in question.

"You are correct." She got up and moved to a wall on the side. "This is the correct path. It leads directly to the tree. Walk two hours and you'll reach the top. A couple lives in the cabin beneath that tree. They serve as Navigators. If you meet their standards, I believe that they will guide you to the Exam site."

The stick in Leorio's hand clattered to the ground. He walked over to the old lady and bowed. "Gran, I'm sorry for my rudeness."

"Don't be. I don't mind. I do this job because I enjoy meeting people like you." She then smiled up at him. "Do your best to become a good Hunter."

Leorio smiled one of his warmer, more gentler smiles back. "Yeah, I will."

"Ahhhhhh, it's no use!" They turned to find Gon on the ground, a look of innocent dismay on his face. "I still can't find the right answer."

Leorio and Kurapika burst into laughter. "You were still trying to find the right answer? You can stop now," Kurapika told him.

"What? Why?"

"The quiz is over."

"I know. But… I was thinking… What if I get in a situation like that, where I can only save one person… What should I do then?"

The relieved smile on Momo's face faded.

"It wouldn't be right to just choose one," Gon continued. "But one day, I might have to make that choice."

Momo's lips pressed into a thin line. She didn't want to admit it, but he was right. He was right, and she was a fool for hoping that she would never have to run into another life-or-death scenario where her loved ones were at stake. When the time came, she would have to make a choice.

She wasn't sure if she would ever be ready for that time.

But there was something else that scared her, something that had bothered her ever since she had been reborn into this world.

 _If I was forced to make a choice between Kurapika and Shintaro… between the brother of this life and the brother of my past, who would I end up choosing?_

* * *

o o o

"Walk two hours?" Leorio grumbled. "It was two hours, two hours ago!" They walked past a sign with simple, almost picturesque writing. "Another 'Beware of magical beasts' sign? Are we ever gonna make it to the exam site?" He flailed his arms. "I'm hungry! I need to take a dump! I gotta take a leak too!"

"Ugh! TMI?" Momo growled, already a few meters ahead of him with Gon and Kurapika at her side.

"Leorio! We'll leave you behind!" Gon called.

Kurapika looked up and smiled. "I see it."

"You do?" Momo perked up. "Finally! Let's go!" She charged forward, followed by all the others. They reached the quaint little cottage in only a few minutes.

"Hello?" Leorio called. "Anyone home?"

"Are they out?" Gon asked.

Momo frowned. The house was quiet- too quiet- for a supposed couple living there. Like Gon said, they could be out, but…

Leorio turned the knob. "We're coming in."

The door opened to reveal a yellow furred beast standing over a man, clutching a woman in his arm.

"A magical beast?" Momo hissed.

"Not just any magical beast, it's a transforming magical beast, the Kiriko!"

The Kiriko turned and crashed through the window. Momo, Kurapika, and Gon ran to the window.

"P-please… save my wife…" They turned to find Leorio already snapping open his bag and pulling out various bandages and other medical gear.

"Leorio, we'll leave the man to you!" Kurapika ordered as they jumped out the window. Gon rushed after the faint shadow in the distance, followed by Kurapika and Momo.

 _He can follow that shadow even though it's night?! I wonder if Hibiya could- no, no, focus!_

Gon leaped into the trees and bound along the branches, the sibling pair following from the ground.

"Kiriko! Let her go!" Gon demanded.

"Take her from me, if you can!"

Gon jumped, missed, and fell to the ground. Momo pulled him back to his feet while running.

"You alright?"

"Wow! He can talk!"

 _Yeah, he's fine,_ Momo smiled.

"That magical beast, the Kiriko, uses human speech," Kurapika answered, ever the informationist.

"Oh! That makes this a lot easier!" He leaped back into the trees. "Hey! Silly Kiriko!" When the Kiriko turned toward him, he lunged, winding up his fishing pole and bashing it into the Kiriko as hard as possible. This made it drop the woman. "Kurapika!"

Kurapika leaped up and caught her before she could reach the ground. He sighed and looked back up at Gon. "He's so reckless…"

"Brother! You got her, right?"

He nodded. "What are you-"

"Stupid kid! You'll pay for this!"

"Wait!"

"I'm going after Gon! Take care of her and yourself!" And she dashed after Gon. While the boy was travelling by air, she was forced to run along the ground, keeping an eye on the steadily disappearing figure. She growled to herself and clucked her tongue. _If Hibiya was here, this would be so much easier!_

A shiver went down her spine. She stopped, seeing as how she couldn't see Gon anymore anyway. She narrowed her eyes, doing her absolute hardest to keep her powers in check. She could feel eyes on her- and they weren't anyone she knew.

"Whoever you are, come out!" she called. "If you want to get Gon, you're going to have to get through me first!"

The bushes rustled, and a figure stepped out. It was-

"Brother?!" she gaped. She would have known if it was her brother. She had felt his eyes on her many times before, and she would've been able to recognize if it was familiar. But then- what was it that her brother had said?

 _Kiriko, a_ transforming _magical beast…!_

"You're not Brother," she accused, tightening her stance. "You're a Kiriko, aren't you?"

'Kurapika' sneered, and it looked so very wrong on his normally stoic, quietly gentle face. "How did you figure it out?" He started transforming, growing larger and stretching until a yellow-furred beast stood in his place. "How did you know that I was fake?"

"Brother said that you were a transforming magical beast," she stated. "And Brother would never leave that woman alone within these woods, not after I told him to take care of her. I just made-"

"A logical guess," the Kiriko smirked. "But that doesn't explain how you knew you were being followed."

She tensed. _Why is it asking me all these questions instead of attacking?_ "I felt your eyes on me," she answered, unable to think of a convincing lie. "And they weren't anybody's I knew." She narrowed her eyes. "Why haven't you attacked me yet?"

Shrill laughter rang through the forest, but it wasn't coming from the Kiriko in front of her. "Hey, sweetheart! Come out here!" a voice called, so similar it was pretty much identical. "You're gonna love this!"

 _Sweetheart?_ She stared at the Kiriko as it perked up.

"Come back to the cottage if you want an answer to that question," it grinned, before bounding away. Momo deadpanned at it.

 _And I thought I was going to get in some sort of fight…? Though now that I think about it, their eyes didn't feel very murderous…_ She sighed and turned. _Well, the only way I'm gonna get answers is by going to the cottage, so going to the cottage it is!_

* * *

o o o

"Hmm… How many years has it been since someone was able to tell us apart? I'm ecstatic!" They were all gathered at the cottage at the foot of the cedar tree, the two Kirikos, the couple, and the examinees. Momo glanced back and forth between the two Kirikos, frowning.

 _Seriously?! I thought Gon was really skilled, especially for his age, but this takes the cake! I can't see a difference between them at all!_

"Hey," Leorio whispered. "Can you tell their faces and voices are different?"

"No, not at all…" Kurapika muttered. Momo nodded along with him.

"You see, the one Kurapika and I beat up is the husband," Gon explained, turning back toward them.

 _Which one are you talking about?_ they all thought with a sweatdrop.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," one of the Kirikos said, as they all gathered together. "We are the Navigators. Our family provides support for the Hunter Exam."

"I'm their daughter!" the 'woman' chirped.

"And I'm their son," the 'man' waved.

"Man, you had us fooled," Leorio sighed. Momo could agree with him. _I definitely didn't expect something like this!_

"The Hunter Exam site changes every year," a Kiriko explained. "It's quite difficult to locate it."

"So we Navigators help by guiding the applicants to the site."

"But we don't help every applicant. We test applicants to see if they're qualified to take the Exam."

"Kurapika," the 'woman' began. "You successfully used the most vague of hints to determine that we weren't spouses." She raised her arm, which caused her sleeve to fall back and to reveal tattoos on her skin. "The hint was these tattoos, which in this region, mark a woman as single for life." She rubbed her wrist, which caused the tattoo to smear and come off. "You've demonstrated that you're very knowledgeable, therefore you pass."

Kurapika relaxed, before turning to look at them with a smile.

"Leorio," the 'man' began. "You never realized my true identity. However, you dressed my injuries faster and more thoroughly than any doctor. More importantly, you continued to reassure me that my wife was safe. Your kindness makes you worthy to take the Hunter Exam."

Leorio rubbed his head and smiled. "Stop it," he mock scowled at the others' looks. "It's embarrassing."

"Momo," the Kiriko on the left began. She instinctively tensed and straightened. "You were able to tell when someone was watching you, and even if it was someone you were familiar with. You were able to see through my disguise almost instantly. For your perceptiveness, and for your irrefutable trust in your brother, you deserve to take the Hunter Exam."

Momo exhaled and beamed. "Brother, I passed!" she whispered excitedly. He smiled and nodded along.

"Finally, Gon," the Kiriko on the right began. "Your superhuman physical ability, and powers of observation makes you worthy to take the Hunter Exam. You pass."

Gon grinned, a big, wide, happy smile stretching across his face. He raised his arm and fistbumped the others.

"We will now take you to the Exam site!" they declared, transforming back to their original forms and stretching out big, leathery wings. Momo gasped at the realization.

 _Ohmygod, we're_ flying _?! That's so cool!_

In the end, Kurapika was lifted by one, Leorio was lifted by two, and Momo double teamed with Gon due to his naturally lighter body.

"Isn't it great that we all passed?" Gon called to the wind.

"It's too early to celebrate," Kurapika reminded. "We merely earned the right to take the real Exam."

"Geez, Brother! Don't be such a party pooper!"

"Yeah! What's wrong with celebrating a little!"

"You all really should think a little…"

"Stop being such a smart-ass!" Leorio snapped. He then dropped several feet.

"Stop moving around!"

"If you fall, blame yourself!"

Gon laughed at his antics. Momo smiled before looking up at her own Kiriko.

"Are you sure this is alright? Carrying us both like this…"

"I'll be fine," the Kiriko replied. "As long as you don't move around as much as that guy, there won't be any risk of falling."

Momo couldn't help but chuckle at the subtle jab. She looked down at the land below, at the lake sparkling with the light of the full moon, the shifting of the shadows as trees rustled in the wind, the deep, rich night sky.

"The view's amazing," she muttered to herself. _I only wish that you were with me to see it… all of you. Everyone in the gang._ Her hands tightened. _I promise. After I get my Hunter's licence, I'll find all of you, and bring us back together. I will… definitely…_

 _Reform the Blindfold gang once more._

* * *

 **A/N: And with that, happy holidays! It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm really sorry for not updating sooner, but I can't really control my brain's muses (which more often then not results in many different story ideas all at once... Just take a look at my profile .-.)**

 **Since it's winter break, I'll try to get more of my stories updated, but no promises. Until then, I'll see you on the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: A year and a half later, this story finally updates~ So sorry about the wait, but here's a very long chapter to make up for it!**

 **Also, please answer the question at the bottom; it'll help me a lot :D**

* * *

"I believe that is the building," the Navigator said. Momo turned her gaze up to find a really, _really_ tall building towering high above.

"It's so tall!" Gon commented. "They must have a really nice building."

"Hey guys!" The Navigator pointed forward, at a very different building. "It's here."

Momo blinked at the rather traditional-styled restaurant, complete with a banner along the top of the doorway. _This is the Hunter Exam site?!_

"Oi, oi, you can't possibly mean that Hunter applicants from around the world are supposed to gather here."

"I do. No one would expect the Hunter Exam, with its millions of candidates, to be located here, right?"

"That's true," Momo mused. "I certainly wouldn't have expected it."

"Welcome!" the chef called once they stepped in. Momo nearly drooled at the smell of fresh meat being cooked.

"Is the back room open?"

"What will you have?"

"The steak combo that opens your eyes to the light. For four."

The chef's eyes seemed to sharpen. "For four… How would you like them?"

"Grilled over a low flame, until cooked."

The chef closed his eyes and smiled. "Got it. Let yourself into the back room."

"I can't wait for the steak combo!" Gon smiled.

Kurapika sighed. "...That was just the password to get us inside, Gon."

"So we don't get to eat?"

"I know I can sure go for a snack right now," Momo remarked.

"Once every ten thousand… the number of applicants who make it this far. You've done extremely well for first timers." The Navigator smiled and turned to leave. "Well, good luck."

Gon held out his hand. "Thank you!"

The Navigator paused before taking his hand and shaking it. "I would be happy to serve as your Navigator next year as well," he said. The door closed with a resolute _clack_ behind him. Then the room rumbled and started to sink.

"It appears this room is an elevator," Kurapika said. Momo deadpanned at him. _No dip, Sherlock!_

"That bastard," Leorio muttered under his breath. "He meant that he thought we were going to fail this year.

"Once every three years."

"What's that?"

"The frequency with which a rookie passes the Exam."

Gon looked up. "It's that unusual?"

"Some cannot endure the exam's physical and mental strain. Also, it's not unusual for veterans to break the rookies, who consequently never retake the test."

"I guess candidates are willing to risk everything to become Hunters."

"You're a candidate too," Momo pointed out.

"It's only natural!" Leorio burst out. "Hunters make the most money in the world!"

"Wrong! Hunters are the noblest in the world!" Kurapika yelled.

"Glory hog…"

"Money grubber!"

"Guys…" Momo sighed.

"Gon, listen! Every year, over fifty Hunters make the list of the world's hundred richest people!"

Kurapika pulled him away. "Hunters are associated with hunting wild game and treasure, but they're all second rate. True Hunters work to protect people and the natural world!"

"The fame and money… that's why people want to become Hunters!"

"Profound knowledge, a healthy mind and body, and unyielding conviction… those are the qualities Hunters pride themselves on!"

"Guys!" Momo huffed. "Quit it!"

They turned on her. "What do you think? What kind of Hunter do you want to become?"

"Er- well, you don't have to overcomplicate things like that," she protested. "I just want to find some people and hopefully have a little fun along the way!"

They turned to Gon next. "Well, what about you?"

"Um… when you put it that way…"

The room jostled and a bell dinged.

"I think we've arrived."

"We'll continue this later."

Gon breathed a sigh of relief. Momo patted his back sympathetically.

The door slid open. Momo stepped through and froze. All the applicants in the room turned their gazes towards her- or rather, them.

"Strange atmosphere down here," Leorio muttered.

She forced a smile. _Ah… This takes me back somehow…_ Of course, the atmosphere while she performed was much different from this, but they still had the same general feeling. _All eyes on me. Looks like this really is the real deal._

"Excuse me!" Gon chirped. They all turned away. He frowned. "Everyone's really tense."

"I can't believe you just did that," she groaned.

"Did what?"

She shook her head. _This is what it means to be dense, right? He's definitely being super dense._

"Hello!" A short person… green bean?... thing held out a circular tag. "Please take a number. Be sure to wear it on your chest at all times, and be careful not to lose it."

The number 405 was printed on hers. She clipped it over her breast and checked her brother's. His read 404.

"Looks like we're right next to each other, huh?"

"We did enter together."

She let her eyes trail over the applicants. Most were grown men, ranging across the spectrum from younger to older. She even saw a graying man with a proud, refined posture. However, there were hardly any females among the group. She spotted one with a large yellow hat, but that was it. "Geez, the testosterone is overwhelming."

"It is to be expected, in an exam like this."

"Sure, but I would've liked to see some girl power, you know?"

"Yo! Haven't seen you around before!" A plump man in a blue outfit approached them. "You must be rookies."

"How can you tell?" she asked.

"Well, this is my thirty fifth attempt."

"Thirty fifth?!"

"You could say I'm an exam veteran!"

"...That isn't something to brag about," Leorio muttered.

"Indeed," Kurapika said.

"Points for persistence though," she whispered to them.

He offered his hand. "My name is Tonpa. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."

"Thank you!" Gon shook his hand, then gazed at the applicants. "Are there any others who took the exam a bunch of times like you?"

"I have the most experience, but there are a few others. Number 255, Todo the wrestler. Number 103, Bourbon the snake charmer. He can hold a grudge, so it's best not to get on his bad side. Then there's number 191, Bodoro the kung fu master. He's getting old, but there still isn't a better martial artist around. There're the three brothers, Amori, Imori, and Umori. Finally, there's number 384, Gerreta the huntsman. He specializes in killing all sorts of creatures by blow dart and club. There's many more, but they've taken the test the most times."

"What about the one in the yellow hat?" Momo asked. "Who is she?"

"Oh, her? That's Ponzu. She's not a rookie, but she's still a novice, at least in comparison to a lot of the people here. From what I've seen, she uses chemicals as weapons. There's not a whole lot that sticks out about her, though."

"I see-"

An anguished scream ripped through the air. She gasped, clamped her hands over her mouth, and pressed closer to her brother. She clenched her eyes shut, willing the faint itch to stay away. She didn't want to attract any attention. She couldn't. The captain's warning echoed in her head.

 _I can't become a target._

She opened her eyes and glanced towards the screams. Bright red flower petals drifted in a dainty stream from a man's outstretched stumps-for-arms. A pink-haired man dressed like a clown gazed on with a nonchalant, almost taunting smile. "Oh, how peculiar. His arms seemed to have turned into flower petals. No smoke and mirrors here~ When you bump into someone, you really should apologize."

She shuddered and held back a retch. That man… there was something horribly wrong with him. For what reason, she couldn't quite place, but… it set her on edge. It set her really, really, really on edge.

 _How did he even turn arms into flower petals?_

"That psychopath is back again," Tonpa muttered.

"Again?" Leorio frowned.

"Don't tell me he took the exam last year," she whimpered.

"He did. Number 44, Hisoka the magician. He was a virtual lock to pass the exam until he all but killed an examiner he didn't like."

Leorio blanched. "A-and they're still letting him retake the exam this year?!"

"Of course. Every year, the examiners and test content changes, and the examiners are the ones who choose the new content. The devil himself could pass if that were the examiners' determination. That's just how the exam works. At any rate, you should stay away from him."

"Duly noted."

"Oh, that's right! I have a little something to mark our acquaintance." He pulled out five cans of orange juice. "How about it?"

"Ooh, thanks!" She took the drinks and passed them out to the others.

He raised his can. "Best of luck to all of us! Cheers!"

She popped open her can and raised it to her lips.

Kurapika caught her gaze and gave a tiny shake of his head. _Wait._

She hesitated. Her skin tingled. Malicious intent. She discreetly glanced around, and her eyes landed on Tonpa. Tonpa, who had a strange wrinkle under his eyes. Not from a smile, but almost like from a smirk.

 _...How very suspicious._

Gon spat out the juice he drank. "Tonpa-san, this juice must have expired. It tastes funny."

Leorio spat out his juice in a brilliant spray. "Seriously! That was close!"

Momo poured out the can onto the ground. Her outer expression was calm, but inside she was fighting to keep a glare off her face. _He was trying to sabotage us, wasn't he? Probably would've fallen for it too, if it wasn't for Gon…_

Said _scumbag_ clapped his hands together and bowed. "I'm really sorry! I didn't realize the juice had gone bad!"

"You don't have to apologize," Gon reassured. "Is your stomach okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine."

"I've sampled all kinds of wild plants and mountain grasses, so I can usually tell when something's bad."

Momo shook off the anger and whistled. "Woah, that's amazing! You're a real outdoor woods kid, aren't you?"

"I-it really is amazing," Tonpa stammered. "Sorry about that again… I'll see you later."

 _Suspicious…_ Hindsight was 20/20, and she could clearly see that now.

An alarm rang. The ground rumbled. The far wall began sliding up and away. Beyond the wall was a tall, lanky man with a thin curly mustache. And… no mouth. Huh.

"I apologize for the wait. The entry period for Hunter applicants has ended. The Hunter Exam will now begin."

Momo placed a hand over her heart and breathed, trying to calm her heart rate. She took her brother's hand and squeezed it. _Don't be so tense_ , she tried to convey to him. _Relax._

He flashed a quick smile at her. _Speak for yourself._

"A final precaution," the man called. "If you are short on luck or ability, you could very well end up seriously injured or even dead. Those who accept the risks, please follow me. Otherwise, please exit via the elevator behind you."

Nobody moved.

Momo's grip tightened. _I've waited- and trained- for this long. I can't wait any longer._

"Very well. All 405 applicants will participate in Phase 1."

"405?" she whispered to Kurapika. "But aren't there 406-"

"The guy who had his arms turned into flowers."

"-oh."

They began walking. The crowd was so large, she couldn't see the man, but she trusted the other applicants to keep them in sight.

"I hoped a few might withdraw, but I guess not," Leorio muttered. "I mean, we've all come this far."

Up front, the sound of footsteps grew louder. And faster. Soon it was like a snare, rapidly rolling over the ground.

Momo found herself pulled into a run. The masses of people still blocked her view, but she could only assume that the pace had increased.

"I neglected to introduce myself. My name is Satotz, the Phase One examiner. I shall lead you to Phase Two."

"What about Phase One?" someone yelled.

"It has already commenced. You must follow me to Phase Two. This is Phase One of the exam. I cannot tell you where or when you will arrive. You must simply follow me."

"So an endurance test?" Momo huffed. "That _sucks_."

"Not just physical endurance," Kurapika muttered. "There's also the mental stress of not knowing how far we'll have to run. He's testing our mental fortitude as well as our physical."

Her heart pounded- and not just from the physical exertion. A tingle raced down her spine, like spiders crawling down her back. She forced a smile on her face. "Hoo boy. Alright. We can do this. We can _do_ this."

* * *

o o o

She couldn't do this. It had been four hours since the start of the exam. Her throat was tight- had been tight for nearly two hours. Her chest constricted painfully, and her breath rushed through her in short, desperate gulps. Her heart beat like a hummingbird's wings. Sweat clung to her neck and seeped into her hoodie. Her arms and legs felt like lead blocks dragging her down. Her legs, in particular, throbbed so much they were numb. A blazing fire raged in her body and scorched her veins.

And yet, the tunnel continued on, a neverending expanse of musky, aged concrete. Examinees were either clumped together or littered on the floor. Some were barely holding on. Some were sprawled on the ground. Some were still running, their faces set and their bodies upright.

She staggered.

Kurapika glanced over to her. "Are you alright?"

"Monsters, everyone," she wheezed. "How can they keep…?" Her steps faltered.

"Don't stop," he warned.

Her heart burned. "Gimme a moment."

"If you stop, it'll be harder to continue."

"I know," she groaned.

"Don't you want to be a Hunter?"

They reached a tall staircase, the steps sleek and stretched high. The staircase continued onward until it vanished, with no sight of the exit. The examiner pranced up it, his strides skipping great chunks of the staircase. A trail of examinees scrambled after him.

Momo slowed to a halt and craned her neck. "You've got to be kidding me."

Kurapika placed his foot on the first step. "Come on. He's picked up the pace. We have to go or we'll lose him."

Her heart clenched. Stinging heat bubbled in her throat. "You've _got_ to be kidding me."

" _Momo_."

She lowered her head and gritted her teeth. Inhale. Exhale. "Give me a moment." Inhale. Exhale. "Go on without me. I'll catch up."

Kurapika didn't move. "Will you?"

She forced a smile. "I will. I just need a quick breather, that's all."

Kurapika hesitated. Cast a glance upward. Then met her gaze. "I'll stay as well."

She gasped. "What? Why?! Get going! You'll lose the examiner!"

"What about you?"

"I don't want to drag you down because of my own problems!"

Kurapika shot her a glare. "You're my sister. We trained for this exam together. You said we could do it. So what's stopping you? What are you waiting for?"

She glanced upward at the fading examiner. "I-"

Two boys blitzed past her, one in green and one in white. They bounded up the steps, grins on their faces. Gon. And an unfamiliar boy. Kids.

It reminded her of a time of scorching summer heat. It reminded her of a gathering at a secret base. It reminded her of kids who fought against tragedy, lost, and kept fighting anyway.

They were just kids when they faced the snake. But they didn't give up. Hibiya was _twelve_ , and he still kept searching for Hiyori. If they didn't give up, then she wouldn't either. They didn't deserve anything less.

She shook herself and grinned. "Nothing's stopping me, and I'm not waiting anymore."

Kurapika smiled and started up the steps. She scampered after him, a new wind streaking through her veins and swelling in her body.

* * *

o o o

Leorio jogged up behind them, chest bare but tie still around his neck. With every stride, he grunted like a strangled pig.

Momo glanced away. She'd already thought this earlier, when he yelled at some examinee a few hours back, but what in the world? Did she even want to know?

"Leorio, are you okay?" Kurapika asked.

"Sure, just look at me!" Leorio steadily gained on them. "I realized that I can keep going if I don't worry about how stupid I look!" He roared a battle cry and charged ahead.

Her lips twitched. She shared a glance with her brother and pulled off her hoodie. Moments later, she was in just a white sleeveless undershirt, her hoodie tucked in Kurapika's bag.

They raced towards Leorio and matched his pace. "I have a question," Kurapika began.

"What, is this not hard enough for you? Talking's just a waste of energy."

"Are you really trying to become a Hunter for the money? We've only been together a few days, but I know you better than that. Sure, you have a nasty attitude, and you're not very bright…"

Leorio screeched in protest. Momo only shot Kurapika an exasperated look.

"But you're not a shallow person. I've seen many who live for money. You're nothing like them."

"You and your logic…" Leorio scoffed.

"Brother has a point. You don't act like a selfish person."

Leorio remained silent.

Kurapika glanced down, then fixed his eyes on the top. "Scarlet Eyes. The reason the Kurta were targeted. We're known for our unique scarlet eyes. When our emotions are heightened, our eyes turn scarlet, as though on fire. In that scarlet state, our eyes are considered one of the seven most beautiful colors in the world. Subsequently, they command high prices on the black market."

"That's why the Phantom Troupe attacked you?"

A spiked pit opened in her stomach. "They took all the eyes from their corpses," Momo muttered, and fought the urge to shudder.

"I can still hear their darkened eyes, crying out in anguish… I swear I will capture the Phantom Troupe. And I will reclaim the eyes of my clan."

"And becoming a Hunter?"

"If I become a Hunter with rich clients, I'll gain access to black market information."

"But you'll have to swallow your pride and become the kind of Hunter you despise!"

"And it's dangerous. You might die." She already knew his answer, though. They've had this argument before, when he first wanted to chase after the Phantom Troupe.

"The blow to my pride is nothing, measured against the suffering my clan endured. Even my life is of no consequence, compared to the hundreds of lives they've ended."

Momo bit her lip and gently nudged him. Not as a sign of support, but as a sign of comfort. They'd already argued about this countless times. It had driven a wedge between them, but that didn't mean she didn't love him or care for him.

"Sorry, but I've got no noble cause," Leorio said. "I'm just after money."

"Don't lie!" Kurapika snapped.

"I'm not lying!"

"You really believe you can buy everything with money?"

Leorio gritted his teeth. "You bet! For the right price, you can buy not only treasures, but dreams, hearts, and even people's lives!"

"What are you saying?" Momo hissed.

"Take that back, Leorio! If you're insulting the Kurta, I won't forgive you!"

"I'm telling the truth! If I had money, my friend wouldn't have died!"

Momo slowed. His friend died because he didn't have money? Then… oh. Her chest ached, and not just because of the endless running.

"An illness?" Kurapika guessed.

Leorio averted his eyes. "It was a treatable disease. But the treatment cost a fortune. I was naive! I thought I could become a doctor… Cure kids with the same disease and be able to tell them it was free of charge. Then I could have told his parents, too…" Tears hung in the corners of his eyes. "What a joke! Turns out to become a doctor, you need even more money! The world runs on money, so I want money!"

Momo smiled. "You really are a good person."

Leorio took a few moments to collect himself and glanced at her. "What about you? You said you wanted to help your brother and to find some people?"

Heat crawled down her back. She instinctively put on a smile. _It's not fair for them to reveal so much about themselves and not receive the same from me. But… they definitely wouldn't believe me. What am I supposed to do?_

"I don't really agree with Brother," she began. "About hunting the Phantom Troupe, I mean." She cast a glance at him.

His face was blank and composed, expression open and listening. He merely nodded for her to continue.

"We've already fought about this, many times," she continued. "But… he's still my brother, you know? And the rest of our clan is… you know. So we have to stick together, even if we don't necessarily agree with each other."

"And about the people you want to find?" Kurapika asked.

"You wouldn't believe me," she blurted.

Leorio stared at her. "What the hell? Why wouldn't we believe you?"

Kurapika narrowed his eyes.

She winced. "Just… trust me. Please"

Leorio glanced between them. "Fine. Okay then. Why do you even want to find these people?"

A true smile tugged at her lips. "They helped me through a difficult time in my life. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. I probably wouldn't be _me_ if it wasn't for them."

Kurapika frowned. "When did you meet these people?"

She pressed her lips together.

Kurapika huffed and looked away. "Who are they? What kind of people are they, to be so important?"

She smiled in thanks. "They're all really… eccentric, I guess. They're certainly a colorful cast of characters. I know Ma-" she cut herself off. "One of them was really shy and kind, while one of the others kept teasing everyone else. And Commander was so cool! She basically commanded everyone else and kept order."

"You sound like good friends," Leorio commented.

"We were."

Kurapika raised an eyebrow. "Past tense? What happened?"

She pursed her lips. "There was an incident. It split us all up. The last memories I have of them are seeing them suffer. Seeing them hurt. I don't… I don't want that to be the last things about them that I remember. I don't even know if they're still… here, but I want to find them. I want to see them. And I want to bring us all back together."

They fell silent. Then, after a few paces, Kurapika nudged her gently.

Not as a sign of support. She knew he couldn't support something he didn't understand. But as a sign of comfort. Of reassurance. Of saying "I'm by your side."

A light shone from the end of the corridor. Not the dimmed, artificial light of the tunnel, but a brilliant, gleaming white light.

She beamed and quickened her pace. The exit. That was the exit. Holy crap, that was the exit!

They clambered over the last few steps. Momo doubled over and gasped for breath, the smile still on her face.

Leorio collapsed on the ground beside her. A few paces away, Gon and the unfamiliar boy sat nonchalantly on the grass.

She made her way over to them and waved. "Hey, Gon!" Her voice came out breathy and airy. "Who's your friend?"

The boy blinked. "Friend…?"

"This is Killua! Guess what? He's twelve like I am!"

"Seriously? You're both twelve?" Nostalgia filled her. _Like Hibiya, huh…_ "Anyway, I'm Momo. Over there is my brother, Kurapika. Hey, Brother!"

Kurapika moved towards them and raised a hand in greeting. "Is this our destination?"

"Nope," Gon said, "it isn't."

"I see… The fog is fading."

A wide expanse of dark, bushy trees; short, frizzy grasses; and sleek ferns stretched to the horizon. Fog still clung to the plant life and clumped towards the ground.

"The Numere Wetlands. Also known as the Swindler's Swamp. We must cross these wetlands in order to reach Phase Two of the exam. This place is home to many bizarre animals, many of them cunning, insatiable creatures who deceive humans and prey on them. Be very careful. If you let them fool you, you're dead."

From the tunnel behind them, a metal sheet clanked and slowly lowered over the entrance. A trailing examinee cried out and stumbled towards them, but was locked out.

"These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey. An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit… Hence the name Swindler's Swamp. Stay very close to me so you won't be deceived."

Momo stretched out her limbs and groaned. Great. More running. After several hours of non-stop running, there's even more running. And she's going to be hunted every step of the way. It'll be like a horde of Kanos pestering her, only they were far more deadly and were actually out to kill her.

Leorio scoffed and straightened. "What a joke. How can they fool us when we're expecting it?"

"Don't let him fool you!" A battered man with torn clothes and dirt stains stumbled out from behind the building. "That examiner is an imposter!"

Momo swiveled between the man and the examiner. Wait, what?

"He isn't an examiner. I'm the real one!" He hauled out a humanoid animal with short purple hair on its head and a curly mustache. Just like the examiner, only its body was a patchy brown. "It's a Man-Faced Ape, one of the creatures in the Numere Wetlands. They love the taste of fresh human meat. However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak. That's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans into following them into these Wetlands, where they can team up with other animals to kill and devour them. He intends to trap every single applicant!"

Momo frowned and inched towards her brother. "What do you think?" It was true that the examiner- Satotz- had long limbs. But he was able to stay ahead of them and keep his pace, even when examinees started dropping out of exhaustion. But wait, how did the supposed 'real examiner' even get so beat up?

The battered man suddenly seized up and collapsed backward. Three pink cards were buried in his body.

In Satotz hands were three cards, the same pink color as the ones in the man.

A shuffling noise, like paper through air. The pink-haired clown man- _Hisoka_ , she would remember that name- chuckled as he shuffled his cards. "I see, I see… That settles it." His eyes settled on Satotz. "You're the real one."

Momo gaped. How did _attacking someone_ decide who was the real examiner?

The supposedly unconscious Man-Faced Ape blinked. It startled, burst to its feet, and scampered away, screeching.

"Examiners are Hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any Hunter, bearing the title we seek, would have been able to block that attack."

Momo glanced back at the downed man, at the cards buried in his body. He was dead, that much was for sure. But how in the world were _cards_ sharp enough to slice through flesh?

Satotz dropped the cards. "I shall take that as a compliment. However, should you attack me again, for any reason, I will report you for turning on an examiner and you will be immediately disqualified. Are we clear?"

"Sure."

A chorus of harsh cries, and a mass of birds descended on the dead man's body. Their beaks nipped and plucked at the skin and flesh.

She put a hand to her mouth. "Eugh… Gross."

Leorio frowned. "Nature can be really brutal to watch."

"So he was a Man-Faced Ape as well," Kurapika said.

She glanced at him. "You mean, you didn't know?"

Kurapika shrugged. "I was planning to wait and see, but it seems as if the problem has resolved itself."

Satotz proceeded towards the dead body. "He was attempting to confuse the applicants, to lure some of them away. You will be encountering such deception on a regular basis. I believe that a number of you were fooled into suspecting my identity?"

Leorio immediately turned away and laughed to himself. Oh boy, and he was the one most skeptical about the creatures' ability to trick them.

"If you lose sight of me in the Numere Wetlands fog, you will never reach the exam's Second Phase. Do bear that in mind."

Momo shuddered. No kidding. If she lost sight of him… She'd probably be killed. But she couldn't let that happen. She couldn't reunite the gang if she failed. And she definitely couldn't reunite the gang if she was dead. The only way out was forward, now.

Satotz strode back down to the front of the pack. "Then, let us be on our way."

* * *

 **A/N: Question of the day! What Nen type do you think Momo would be based on her personality?**

 **Enhancer- Simple and determined. Core traits selfishness/self-centeredness, straightforwardness, and stubbornness (fundamental inability to see beyond their own perspective).**

 **Emitter- Impatient, not detail-oriented, and short tempered. Core traits volatility and emotion (feels emotion more intensely).**

 **Manipulator- Argumentative and logical. Core traits assertiveness (believes they are right) and control.**

 **Transmuter- Fickle, prone to deceit, and whimsical. Core traits desire and existential uncertainty (never sure of who they are because they're always changing).**

 **Conjurer- High-strung or overly serious, stoic, and nervous. Core trait goal-oriented (often analytical and reserved in pursuit of that goal).**

 **(Not Specialist because I'm planning on doing the same thing with Kurapika to her)**

 **I'm personally going between Emitter, Manipulator, and maybe Enhancer and Transmuter (definitely not Conjurer). This is mostly based off of malleusdeus Reddit user's personality analyses of nen types.**


End file.
